The basic Medicaid Rule for nursing home residents is that they must all of their income, minus certain deductions, for their care. These deductions include a $60.00 per month personal needs allowance, a deduction for any uncovered medical cost (including medical insurance premiums) and, in case of a married applicant, an allowance for the spouse that continues to live at home if her or she needs income support. A deduction may also be allowed for a dependent child living at home. Continue reading →

Personal Guardian for Minor ChildrenOne very important decision for you to make when creating a plan is to decide who would be the guardian of your minor children. When you write your first will, it is very possible that you still have minor children at home. While you may not have 11 children and face the challenge that confronted Shelly and Pat, this is still a very crucial and important decision. Your guardian will raise the children, teach them values, select the schools they attend and perform the functions of a parent. If you do not have a guardian selected in a will, a court may select a person. That person may not share your cultural background, your religion, your general world view, or any other aspects of the character that you think important for the person who raises your children. By selecting a guardian and an alternate in your will, you have a much better prospect of finding someone that you think is the right person to raise your children. Continue reading →

When an individual applies for Medicaid assistance in a nursing home, one of the first questions that is asked of them has to do with whether a transfer has been made of any asset for less than fair market values within five years (60 months) of the date of the application. If such a transfer has been made, a “penalty period” will result depending on the value of the gift. The larger the gift, the longer the penalty period. Continue reading →

“Who would take our children? I am not sure anyone would be willing to take them,” remarked Shelly to her attorney, Jim. “It’s not that they aren’t good children. They are all fine, but there are 11 of them! If something happens to Pat and me, who will take them?” Continue reading →

If you are a caregiver looking for financial assistance, there are several programs that may be able to help you. While you will still have to pay some out-of-pocket, taking advantage of these services can help you reduce the amount that you are personal spending on caregiving. Here are three ways you can get financial help. Continue reading →